Post by jchalfantnew on Apr 19, 2022 4:53:23 GMT
No, not the “Behold the beer-belly!” commercial that seemed to air during every commercial break in the off-hours on cable TV between 1985 and 1987. There was a second version that aired in a very small window, circa late 87, maybe into early 1988. As I recall it started like this:
Two men are seated at a bar (cropped in such a way that we don’t see their faces) with a couple of glasses of beer next to them. Their bellies start inflating (no fancy special effects, just balloons under the shirt, we are talking cheap cable TV after all!). The announcer comes on and says:
“If that flat tummy you had in high school has gotten way out of hand…”
Cut to a close up of the button’s busting off of the one guy’s shirt.
Cut back to a wide shot, with the one guy jabbing the other in the stomach with his index finger. The announcer says:
“You’ve got to draw the waistline somewhere. Well, now you can!”
With a laser sound, a red angled line slashes across the screen, transforming into the “circle with a line through it” logo seen on road signs. The announcer says:
“With the original Gut-Buster!”
Cut to the usual product demonstration, followed by ordering information.
I thought I was going crazy. Did this commercial really exist, or did I imagine it? Then I found this on a (totally abandoned, apparently) Youtube channel. At least I know it really exists now. But I still have yet to uncover the complete ad.
Interestingly, research revealed a class-action lawsuit against the Gut-Buster people. Apparently, their product was injuring people due to faulty springs! Imagine that, products that appear on those late night “as seen on TV” ads are cheaply made! This happened circa 1987-88, which would explain why this second variant lasted such a short time.
Two men are seated at a bar (cropped in such a way that we don’t see their faces) with a couple of glasses of beer next to them. Their bellies start inflating (no fancy special effects, just balloons under the shirt, we are talking cheap cable TV after all!). The announcer comes on and says:
“If that flat tummy you had in high school has gotten way out of hand…”
Cut to a close up of the button’s busting off of the one guy’s shirt.
Cut back to a wide shot, with the one guy jabbing the other in the stomach with his index finger. The announcer says:
“You’ve got to draw the waistline somewhere. Well, now you can!”
With a laser sound, a red angled line slashes across the screen, transforming into the “circle with a line through it” logo seen on road signs. The announcer says:
“With the original Gut-Buster!”
Cut to the usual product demonstration, followed by ordering information.
I thought I was going crazy. Did this commercial really exist, or did I imagine it? Then I found this on a (totally abandoned, apparently) Youtube channel. At least I know it really exists now. But I still have yet to uncover the complete ad.
Interestingly, research revealed a class-action lawsuit against the Gut-Buster people. Apparently, their product was injuring people due to faulty springs! Imagine that, products that appear on those late night “as seen on TV” ads are cheaply made! This happened circa 1987-88, which would explain why this second variant lasted such a short time.
